Device for compressing coils of wire for banding



F. SHERRIFF Jan. 12, 1960 DEVICE FOR COMPRESSING COILS OF WIRE FOR BANDING Filed March 6, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. FRED SHERRIFF' BYM-z 4 W1 ATTYS.

F. SHERRIFF Jan. 12, 1960 DEVICE FOR COMPRESSING COILS OF WIRE FOR BANDING Filed March 5, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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F. SHERRIFF Jan. 12, 1960 DEVICE FOR COMPRESSING COILS OF WIRE FOR BANDING FilQd March 6, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet. 3

INVENTOR.

FRED SHERRIFF ATTYS.

F. SHERRIFF Jan. 12, 1960 DEVICE FOR COMPRESSING COILS OF WIRE FOR BANDING Filed March 6, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 4

INVENTOR.

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v mmvron FRED SHERRIFF Jan. 12, 1960 F. SHERRIFF- DEVICE FOR COMPRESSINGCOILS OF WIRE; FOR BANDING Filed March 5, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR.

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F. SHERRIFF Jan. 12, 1960 DEVICE FOR COMPRESSING COILS OF WIRE FOR BANDING 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed March 6, 1956 mmvrm I FRED SHERRIFF BY z a z ATTYS.

Jan. 12, 1960 DEVICE FOR Filed March 6, 1956 F. SHERRIFF COMPRESSING COIL-S OF WIRE FOR BAND ING 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 uvmvrox FRED SHERRIFF ATTYS.

United States Patent DEVICE FOR CQMPRESSING COILS 0F WIRE FOR BANDING Fred Sherriir, Hickory Corners, Mich., assignor to Clark Equipment Company, a corporation of Michigan Application March 6, 1956, Serial No. 569,861

9 Claims. (Cl. 100-214) The present invention relates generally to a device for compressing coils of wire for handing, and has for its principal object the provision of a form of device that is especially adapted for employment in conjunction with a known type of commercial lift truck.

In the program of transporting wire and the like, including cables, metal ribbons, etc., it is frequently desirable in the interest of efficient handling to band together a series or group of such coils and, in the interest of space conservation, to compress or compact such series of coils into as small a bundle as is feasibly possible. However, it will be appreciated that such individual coils of Wire are necessarily heavy and cumbersome, and the problem of assembling together such a series of coils and compressing and handing them together is a troublesome one.

Specifically, the present invention contemplates the provision of a form of device employing a pair of laterally spaced and horizontally projecting ram tubes superposed over a horizontally disposed hydraulic cylinder assembly, the tubes and cylinder being secured to a base plate, which plate in turn is suitably secured to the lift carriage of a lift truck. By assembling together a series of coils with their open centers in axial alignment, and by then raising or lowering the lift carriage to align the ram tubes with the open centers of said coils, the truck vmay be driven forwardly to position the ram tubes in the open centers of the coils, after which the lift carriage may be elevated to raise the coils from the floor. The truck with the coils suspended on the ram tubes is then driven onto one end of a pair of fioor tracks, to the other end of which is secured a floor stand. The base plate to which the ram tubes and hydraulic cylinder are attached forms one compression plate, while the second compression plate, between which and the first compression plate the coils are compressed, is carried by the floor stand. Normally the hydraulic cylinder has its piston rod projected and the free end of the latter is provided with an enlarged conically shaped head. As the lift truck is driven onto the floor tracks, the ram tubes, which extend for a short distance horizontally beyond the piston rod head, will eventually engage in an opening in the compression plate on the floor stand to thereby assure of proper alignment of the two compression plates. Initial compressing of the coils is accomplished by forward movement of the truck to compress the coils between the compression plates. Thereafter, the piston rod head enters a second opening in the floor stand compression plate. This second opening is partially closed by a pair of diametrically opposed, vertically movable, spring pressed shutters. As the piston rod head enters the opening, the shutters are pushed vertically apart until the head has fully passed through said second opening, after which the shutters spring back to their normal position behind the head to lock the latter to the second compression plate. Fluid under pressure is then admitted to the cylinder as.- sembly and the coils further compressed by the combined 2,920,555 Patented Jan. 12, 1960 "ice action of the force applied by retraction of the piston rod and the inching of the truck forwardly in the floor tracks, it being obvious that by such arrangement compressive force is being simultaneously applied to opposite ends of the series of coils to compress them together. Each of the compression plates is provided with bumpers to space the outermost coils. therefrom, so that the compressed coils may be properly and efficiently banded. After handing, the piston rod head is released from the second compression plate and the truck, with the compressed and banded coils suspended from the ram tubes, backed from the floor tracks. The truck may 4 then be employed to transport the banded coils to a place of storage, after which the lift carriage may be lowered to deposit the coils upon the floor. By then backing the truck from the coils the ram tubes may be removed from the open centers of the coils.

Other features and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and in part will hereinafter appear and they consist generally in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction to be described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown the preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the principles of the present invention shown in conjunction with the forward portion of a known commercial form of lift truck;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the ram tubes, hydraulic cylinder, and the base or first compression plate by means of which the tubes and cylinder are supported and attached to the lift carriage of the lift truck;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the floor stand and second compression plate;

Figure 4 is a vetical sectional view through the floor stand and second compression plate, this view being taken substantially along the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the floor stand and second compression plate;

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the device of the present invention showing the truck entering the floor tracks and the ram ubes entering their opening in the second compression plate, the series of coils of wire suspended on the ram tubes being uncompressed;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but showing the wire coils partially compressed and with the piston rod head locked to the second compression plate by the diametrically opposed, vertically slidable shutters; and

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figures 6 and 7, but showing the series of wire coils further compressed by the forward movement of the lift truck and the retraction of the piston rod.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the lift truck 1 is a known type of commercial vehicle having the usual uprights 2 at the forward end thereof in which operates the usual vertically movable lift carriage 3.

Suitably secured to the lift carriage is a base or first compression plate 4 having outwardly projecting, diagonally disposed upper and lower arms 56. A bumper 7 is suitably secured to each of these arms and spaces the end coil of wire from the compression plate 4. Such space, together with the space defined by the particular position of the arms 56, permits the banding means to be passed from the outer to the inner side around the end coil.

Projecting forwardly from compression plate 4 are a pair of laterally. spaced horizontally disposed ram tubes 8-9 of appreciable length. The rear end of these tubes have a press fit in suitable openings in plate 4 and are welded to both the front and rear faces of the plate.

At their forward end, the tubes are of bullet shaped formation and are tied together by the bridge member suitably secured to the tubes as by welding or brazing. Intermediate their ends, the tubes have support on a bracket 11, which bracket in turn seats on and is fixed to a cylinder assembly 12 having the usual piston rod 13. The free end of rod 13 is provided with an enlarged conically shaped head 14 defining a shoulder 15, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. Cylinder 12 is positioned immediately below the two ram tubes 8-9 and its connecting flange 16 is bolted to plate 4 as at 17. It will be appreciated from the foregoing that, by reason of their attachment to lift carriage 3 through the medium of plate 4, the ram tubes 8-9 may be raised or lowered to align them with the open centers of a group of axially aligned coils. By then driving the truck toward the coils the tubes will be engaged in the open centers of the Wire coils, after which the carriage may be lifted to suspend the coils from the tubes for transport of the coils, by the truck, to a pair of floor tracks 18 for completion of the operation of compressing and banding the coils.

As shown, the tracks 18 are open at one end, while at their opposite ends they are fixed to a floor stand 19 in the form of a pair of laterally spaced apart plates 20-21. Such plates are provided with the rearwardly offset portions 22-23 and 24.

Seated on offset portion 24, and preferably welded thereto at 25, is a back plate 26, to which is attached, as by means of bolts 27, a pair of plates 28-29. These latter plates, as shown, are of such dimensions as to define between plates 26 and 29 a pair of vertical channels or guideways 30. Guide members 31, welded or otherwise suitably secured to side plates or spacer members 32 have vertical movement in said guideways 30. The forward portion of side plates 32 are welded, or otherwise suitably secured to the rear surface of the second compression plate 33, and reinforced by the gusset or brace members 34.

The second compression plate 33 is preferably square in shape and relieved of metal along its vertical edges to form the upper and lower outwardly projecting arms 35- 36 defining therebetween the space 37. Such arms have the diagonally positioned bumpers 38 suitably secured thereto to space the abutting wire coil from plate 33. Such space defined by bumpers 38 and the space 37 permits ready passage of the banding means from the out side to the inside of the outermost coil.

Compression plate 33, in addition to its connection to plates 20-21 through the guideways 30 and guide members 31, is supported on such latter plates through the medium of a metal bar 39, which seats on the oifset portion 22 of said plates and is welded or otherwise suitably secured thereto at 40. Pins 41 fixed in bar 39 extend into and have a sliding fit in bores 42 opening through the lower surface of plate 33. Springs 43 encircling pins 41 are interposed between plate 33 and bar 39. It will be obvious that by reason of such mounting of plate 33, such plate, as well as side plates 32 and guide members 31, may float up and down as a unit in guideways 30 to compensate for any misalignment of ram tubes 8-9 and the horizontally elongated slots 44- 45 in the upper portion of plates 33 and 26, respectively, through which the ram tubes are adapted to be projected.

Immediately below slot 44 and substantially centrally of plate 33 is a circular opening 46 through which the head 14 of piston rod 13 is adapted to be projected. This opening 46 is partially closed by a pair of diametrically opposed, vertically slidable, shutters 47-48, each of which has one edge relieved of metal to form the oval shaped opening 49 (Figure 3). Such shutters have vertical movement in a receptacle 49 suitably secured to the rear face of plate 33. Springs 50 bias the shutters 47-48 to their closed position. The edges of the shutters defining the opening 49 are inclined as indicated at 47a-48a to provide a cam surface for cooperation with the conical piston head 14. It will be observed that upon passing through opening 46, piston head 14 encounters the cam surfaces 47a-48a of shutters 47-48, whereupon upon continued movement of piston head 14 the shutters 47-48 are pushed vertically apart against the action of springs 50. As soon as the piston head 14 clears the shutters, they are snapped back to piston rod 13 by the springs 50 to be disposed in rear of piston head shoulder 15, whereby the piston rod 13 is locked to plate 33.

For unlocking or releasing piston rod 13 from plate 33, the shutters 47-48 are provided with extensions 51-52. projecting through and vertically operable in a slot 53 in receptacle 49. Such projections are connected by pins 5455 to one end of levers 56-57, which are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on pivots 58- 59 on a bracket 60 suitably secured to the rear surface of plate 33. The other or free ends of the levers 56-57 extend outwardly through slots 61-62 in side plate 32. By squeezing or moving levers 56-57 toward each other, the shutters will be operated to remove them from behind shoulder 15 of piston head 14 to thereby release the head from plate 33.

As shown in Figures 6 through 8, after the wire coils 63 have been suspended on ram tubes 8-9, as hereinbefore described, the truck is driven onto the floor tracks 18 with the ram tubes aligned with the elongated slots 44-45. Continued driving of the truck along tracks 18 will eventually engage tubes 8-9 in the slots 44-45 and thus align the two compression plates 4 and 33. The expanded coils of wire will engage the bumpers 38 on plate 33 prior .to entry of the piston head 14 in opening 46. Initial compression of the coils will, therefore, be caused by forward movement of the truck until such time as shoulder 15 of piston head 14 passes the shutters 47- 48. This is illustrated in Figure 7. Thereafter, as shown in Figure 8, the simultaneous forward movement of the truck, and the retraction of piston rod 13 under fluid pressure, will apply pressure to opposite ends of the series of coils 63 to further compress them.

When fully compressed, as shown in Figure 8, the coils may be then banded in any suitable manner. After banding, the levers 56-57 may then be operated to release piston head 14, after which the truck with the compressed and handed coils suspended on tubes 8-9 may be backed off of tracks 18 and be transported by the truck to a place of storage. By lowering the lift carriage, the coils may be deposited on the floor and the truck then backed from the coils to remove the ram tubes 8-9 from the centers of the coils.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described by way of example, it will be obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope of the invention and, therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the precise form herein disclosed, except insofar as it may so be limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. For use with an industrial truck having a vertically movable lift carriage, of means for compressing coils of wire for banding, comprising in combination, a first compression plate secured to said lift carriage, means on said compression plate to support the coils of wire to be compressed, at second compression plate, a floor stand supporting said second compression plate, and hydraulic means carried by said first compression plate and connectable with said second compression means to impose a compressive force on the latter.

2. For use with an industrial truck having a vertically movable lift carriage, of means for compressing coils of wire for banding, comprising in combination, a first compression plate secured to said lift carriage, a pair of laterally spaced ram tubes secured to said first compression plate and projecting horizontally outwardly therefrom for supporting thereon the coils of wire to be compressed, a cylinder and piston rod assembly secured to said first compression plate to project horizontally therefrom beneath said ram tubes, said piston rod having an enlarged head at the free end thereof, a floor stand, a second compression plate carried by said floor stand, said latter plate having an elongated slot for passage of said ram tubes therethrough and an opening for receiving said piston rod head, and means carried by said second compression plate adjacent said latter opening for locking said piston rod head to said second compression plate.

'3. For use with an industrial truck having a vertically movable lift carriage, of means for compressing coils of wire for handing, comprising in combination, a first compression plate secured to said lift carriage, a pair of laterally spaced ram tubes secured to said first compression plate and projecting horizontally outwardly therefrom for supporting thereon the coils of wire to be compressed, a cylinder and piston rod assembly secured to said first compression plate to project horizontally therefrom beneath said ram tubes, said piston rod having an enlarged head at the free end thereof, a floor stand, a second compression plate carried by said floor stand, said latter plate having an elongated slot for passage of said ram tubes therethrough and an opening for receiving said piston rod head, and a pair of diametrically opposed vertically movable shutters carried by said second compression plate adjacent said latter opening engageable behind the enlarged head of said piston rod to lock the same to said second compression plate.

4. For use with an industrial truck having a vertically movable lift carriage, of means for compressing coils of wire for banding, comprising in combination, a first compression plate secured to said lift carriage, a pair of laterally spaced ram tubes secured to said first compression plate and projecting horizontally outwardly therefrom for'supporting thereon the coils of wire to be compressed, a cylinder and piston rod assembly secured to said first compression plate to project horizontally therefrom beneath said ram tubes, said piston rod having an enlarged head at the free end thereof, a floor stand, a second compression plate carried by said floor stand, said latter plate having an elongated slot for passage of said ram tubes therethrough and an opening for receiving said piston rod head, means carried by said second compression plate adjacent said latter opening for locking said piston rod head to said second compression plate, and means connected with said last named means and operable to release said piston rod head from said second compression plate.

5. For use with an industrial truck having a vertically movable lift carriage, of means for compressing coils of wire for banding, comprising in combination, a first compression plate secured to said lift carriage, a pair of laterally spaced ram tubes secured to said first compression plate and projecting horizontally outwardly therefrom for supporting thereon the coils of Wire to be compressed, a cylinder and piston rod assembly secured to said first compression plate to project horizontally therefrom beneath said ram tubes, said piston rod having an enlarged head at the free end thereof, a floor stand, a second compression plate carried by said floor stand, said latter plate having an elongated slot for passage of said ram tubes 'therethrough and an opening for receiving said piston rod head, a pair of diametrically opposed vertically movable shutters carried by said second compression plate adjacent said latter opening engageable behind the enlarged head of said piston rod to lock the same to said second compression plate, and means connected to said shutters and operable to remove them from in back of said piston rod head to thereby release the latter from said second compression plate.

6. For use with an industrial truck having a vertically movable lift carriage, of means for compressing coils of wire for banding, comprising in combination, a first compression plate secured to said lift carriage, a pair of laterally spaced ram tubes secured to said first compression plate and projecting horizontally outwardly therefrom for supporting thereon the coils of wire to be compressed, a cylinder and piston rod assembly secured to said first compression plate to project horizontally therefrom beneath said ram tubes, said piston rod having an enlarged head at the free end thereof, a floor stand, a second compression plate carried by said floor stand, said latter plate having an elongated slot for passage of said ram tubes therethrough and an opening for receiving said piston rod head, a receptacle positioned on said second compression plate adjacent said opening, a pair of diametrically opposed shutters disposed in said receptacle for vertical sliding movement therein, and spring means biasing said shutters to closed position, said shutters being operable by the passage of the piston rod head therebetween against the action of said springs and said springs closing said shutters behind the enlarged head of said piston rod after passage of the same between said shutters to thereby lock the piston rod to said second compression plate.

7. For use with an industrial truck having a vertically movable lift carriage, of means for compressing coils of wire for banding, comprising in combination, a first compression plate secured to said lift carriage, a pair of laterally spaced ram tubes secured to said first compression plate and projecting horizontally outwardly therefrom for supporting thereon the coils of wire to be compressed, a cylinder and piston rod assembly secured to said first compression plate to project horizontally therefrom beneath said ram tubes, said piston rod having an enlarged head at the free end thereof, a floor stand, a second compression plate carried by said floor stand, said latter plate having an elongated slot for passage of said ram tubes therethrough and an opening for receiving said piston rod head, a receptacle positioned on said second compression plate adjacent said opening, a pair of diametrically opposed shutters disposed in said receptacle for vertical sliding movement therein, spring means biasing said shutters to closed position, said shutters being operable by the passage of the piston rod head therebetween against the action of said springs and said springs closing said shutters behind the enlarged head of said piston rod after passage of the same between said shutters to thereby lock the piston rod to said second compression plate, and lever means connected to said shutters and operable to release said piston rod from said second compression plate.

8. For use With an industrial truck having a vertically movable lift carriage, of means for compressing coils of Wire for handing, comprising in combination, a first compression plate secured to said lift carriage, a pair of laterally spaced ram tubes secured to said first compression plate and projecting horizontally outwardly therefrom for supporting thereon the coils of wire to be compressed, a cylinder and piston rod assembly secured to said first compression plate to project horizontally therefrom beneath said ram tubes, said piston rod having an enlarged head at the free end thereof, a floor stand, a second compression plate, means supporting said second compression plate on said floor stand for vertical floating movement with respect thereto, said second compression plate having an elongated slot for passage of said ram tubes therethrough and an opening for receiving said piston rod head, and means carried by said second compression plate adjacent said latter opening for locking said piston rod head to said second compression plate.

9. For use with an industrial truck having a vertically movable lift carriage, of means for compressing coils of wire for banding, comprising in combination, a first compression plate secured to said lift carriage, a pair of laterally spaced ram tubes secured to said first compression plate and projecting horizontally outwardly therefrom for supporting thereon the coils of wire to be comfrom beneath said ram tubes, said piston rod having an enlarged head at the free end thereof, a floor stand, means on said floor defining vertical guideways, guide members slidable in said guideways, a second compression plate secured to said guide members, means yieldably supporting said second compression plate on said floor stand, said second compression plate having an elongated slot for passage of said ram tubes therethrough and an opening for receiving said piston rod head, and means carried by said second compression plate adjacent said latter opening for locking said piston rod head to said second compression plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Peters et al. Aug. 21, Ziebarth Mar. 10, McNally Sept. 12, Pizzi Jan. 4, Bell et al. Aug. 5, Marsico et a1. Dec. 23, Droll Dec. 7, Tillinghast Nov. 12, Franks Feb. 4, 

